


A Lovely Night

by ShenanigansEnsue



Series: Shenanigans and Imagines [40]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-06
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2019-03-01 07:38:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13290177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShenanigansEnsue/pseuds/ShenanigansEnsue
Summary: Requested by Anoymoushii i want to request a modernkylo!x reader based on “a lovely night” by la la land!!





	1. Chapter 1

           You examined yourself in the mirror as you put on the last of your make up. You looked good, if you said so yourself.  Light, and professional, but still rather pretty. 

           You smiled in appreciation just as your phone rang.

           You checked the number, and you smile grew a little wider at seeing your boyfriend’s name flashed on the screen.

           “Hey babe,” you answered.

           “Hey Y/N,” he said tiredly.

           Your smile instantly vanished at the rather formal greeting.

           “Something wrong?”

           He let out a sigh and you could practically see him run his hand through his hair.

           “I can’t make it tonight.”

           You felt your stomach sink at the news.  You were preparing for a holiday party hosted by your boss Senator Leia Organa. You were her assistant, and she had personally invited you to meet many of the other movers and shakers in the state and national government.  You had invited Mark as your plus one and were relying on him to be with you.  You were a good assistant, a great one even, but you still had a lot to learn when it came to socializing with the elite. You imagined that was why Leia had invited you, as a kind of practice run.

           “Can you make it a little later,” you asked.  “We can be an hour late, I don’t think it would make much of a difference.”

           “I can’t Y/N, I’m swamped,” he said, irritation coming into his voice.  “It’s not a big deal, you can go on your own.”

           You wanted to bring up the fact that it was the third time this month he had canceled on you.  You also wanted to add that you had planned this a good two months in advanced and had reminded him again and again how important this was to you, but you kept your mouth shut. Having that conversation over the phone wasn’t going to help anyone.

           “Fine,” you said tightly. “Do you want to try and meet tomorrow at least?”

           Another sigh came.

           “I’ll see what I can arrange.  I gotta go.”

           He hung up before you could say anything back.  

           You held your phone tight in your hand, and had half a mind to throw it against something, but you let it go.  You wished you hadn’t just put on your make-up. You needed to rub your face in frustration.

           You liked Mark, you really did, but after six months it seemed the pair of you had hit a wall that neither of you could climb over, and you were starting to think maybe you weren’t inclined to.

           You settled on running a hand through your hair instead, letting out a long breath.  It wasn’t the time to think about that.  You had a party to get to.  You were going to be nice, and charming, and have a lovely time.

* * *

           Half an hour later, you found yourself standing on the front porch of expansive property.

           You had been over to Senator Organa’s home a hundred times, but you never managed to get over how luxurious it actually was.  It stood on a hillside overlooking the ocean with other houses of equal splendor peppering it up all the way down to the sea. You knew she came from old money, but felt it wasn’t your place to ask exactly where it all started.

           You rang the doorbell, and in a matter of seconds, you were surprised to see Han Solo answer the door.

           “Hey kid,” he greeted.  “Was wondering when you’d show up.”  

           You felt some of the tension leave your shoulders immediately upon seeing him. You always liked Han from the moment Leia introduced you.  He was a little rough around the edges, but he was always kind to you.

           He made no secret of his general disdain for politics and most politicians, but he loved Leia and he knew you were always trying your best to make her life, and by extension his life, easier.

           “Nice to see you Mr. Solo,” you said smiling.

           “Just Han, kid,” he corrected gesturing you inside. “Hey, isn’t that boyfriend of yours coming?”

           You felt your smile falter, but you covered it as best you could.

           “He couldn’t make it,” you said politely.  “Work stuff.”

           Han made a face.  He looked like he wanted to say something along the lines of “no good asshole”, but he kept it to himself.  

           “Well, probably for the best,” he said.  “God knows I’m going to need someone to talk to beside these old crows.”

           You laughed, and you felt a little better.

           “Is there anything you need help with,” you asked.

           He waved you off.

           “You’re off the clock, kid, try and relax.  Drinks are in the kitchen.  I’ll see if I can find Leia for you.”

           He made his way to the living room where a group of men and women were already eating and chatting amongst themselves.  

           You decided to take Han’s advice and made a B-line towards the kitchen.  You could feel your nerves starting to come back to you.

           Luckily, most of the guest were already in the living room, and the few milling around were too engrossed in their conversation to notice you.  You grabbed a glass, and quickly found a bottle of your favorite drink.

           It was all going to be fine.  You were a bright young woman working for one of the most influential senators in the country.  There was absolutely no need to be nervous.  

           You took a long sip of your drink, anyway, just to cover your bases.

           “Y/N, you made it.”

           You glanced up, smiling as Leia walked into the room.  She gave you a brief hug, which you returned before pulling away.

           “Thanks for inviting me,” you said.

           “Don’t thank me just yet,” she said with a wry smile.  “You might regret it once Akbar starts recounting his war stories. C’mon, let me introduce you.”

           You followed her into the main living room and started making the rounds. Leia introduced you to everyone. You recognized some people from around the capitol, but were relieved to realize many were old friends of Leia and this truly was more of a social gathering.  You started to relax after that and after a few more drinks, you were even starting to have a nice time.

           “Oh, Y/N, there’s one more person I want you to meet,” Leia said, before pulling you to a corner of the room.

           It was then you noticed an extraordinarily tall young man leaning against the fireplace with a drink held lazily in his hand.  He was handsome, with thick black hair and dark brown eyes contrasted against pale skin.  You felt like you recognized him, but you couldn’t for the life of you remember where.

          He seemed completely at ease in his surroundings, but at the same time out of place.  While everyone else was wearing some designer label, he wore simply dress pants, and open white collared shirt rolled up at the elbows. You couldn’t understand how you missed him, but judging by his stance and where he was positioned in the room, that was probably his goal.  

           “Y/N, this is my son Ben,” Leia said.  “Ben, this is my assistant Y/N.”

           Then in clicked.  You had seen his college school graduation photo sitting on Leia’s desk in her office. The photo really didn’t do him justice.  You always thought it was Leia’s shorter stature making him look bigger than he was, when in reality he was dwarfing her.

           It also explained the get up.  Leia had mentioned a few times how Ben was determined not to rely on her family name to get ahead, opting to use his father’s last name instead.  You had to admit, there was something admirable about that.

           “Nice to meet you,” you said, holding out your hand.  “Leia’s told me a lot about you.”

           He gave you a quick once over, before shrugging.

           “Can’t say the same,” he said, not bothering to take your hand.

           You let it fall limply at your side, feeling a sudden rush of embarrassment. 

           “Ben,” Leia snapped.

           To his credit, he didn’t flinch at her tone.  A lesser man would had run straight to the hills.

           He looked like he was about to say something back, when one of the guest stepped in the middle of it all.

           “I’m terribly sorry,” he said in a rushed tone, “but it looks like Han and Mon Mothma have started getting into something.”

           A look of annoyance and mild panic spread across Leia’s face.

           “I’ll be right there,” she said quickly, before looking back to Ben and giving him a hard glare. She then spun on her heel and followed the guest outside leaving you alone with Ben.

           There was a beat of awkward silence which seemed to stretch on forever. You waited for him to say or do something, but he simply stood there, making a point not to look at you.  You realized soon enough he wasn’t going to be the one to break it.  

           “So,” you said, taking on a light tone.  “What do you do?”

           He at least had the decency to look at you then, raising one of his eyebrows.  

           “I thought you said you heard a lot about me?”

           “More bits and pieces, but that’s generally not a good way to introduce yourself to someone,” you clarified.  

           He gave you an odd look, but conceded the point with a nod of the head.

“So, what do you do?” you repeated.

He didn’t answer right away, taking the time to sip his drink.

           “I’m a musician.”

           “Like a in band or…?”

           “Piano.”

           A small smile spread across your face at the explanation.  You had always wondered about the piano in the front room. You knew neither Leia nor Han played and it was too nice to just be used for decoration. It was also always in tune whenever you sat down to tap at the keys.

           “That’s actually really cool,” you said, meaning it. “So what…”

           “Look, I don’t know what my mom said to you, but you don’t have to talk to me.”

           You found yourself taken aback, and your brows furrowed in confusion.

           “What makes you think I’m talking to you because I have to?”

           “Well, you work for her right?” he said simply. “I’m just saying, I’m not going to rat you out if you don’t want to talk to me.”

           You couldn’t help but feel insulted by the implication. Did he really think that you were the type of person to kiss his ass to stay on your boss’s good side?

           “That’s very generous of you,” you bit back, crossing your arms. “What exactly do you take me for?”

           You had the satisfaction of seeing a look of surprise and discomfort finally take over his face as he came to realize he had just stepped into some pretty hot water.

           “I don’t know how to answer that,” he said lamely.  

           You didn’t know if it was the sudden rush of anger or maybe the booze shaking off your inhibitions, but you held your ground staring straight in the eyes.

           “I’m talking to you because it’s what you do in polite society when you want to get to know someone,” you said simply. “But if you’re the type of person who thinks their mother has to pay their assistant to be nice to them, then I think I’ve learned enough. Excuse me.”

           And with that you turned and walked away, not bothering to look back.  

           The rest of the night remained mostly uneventful.  Leia was able to clear the air between her husband and Senator Mon Mothma deciding to spend the rest of the night by his side.  

You chatted with a few of the other senators, and actually did pretty well all things considered.  But, you couldn’t help your eyes drifting to the corner of the room every now and then.

           Ben stayed where he was most of the night, only really leaving his spot to get another drink or when his mother pulled him away to actually be sociable. He caught your eye every now and then, and you were satisfied to find he couldn’t hold eye contact for long before looking away a little embarrassed. You also got the impression he was watching you even when you weren’t looking directly at him.  You couldn’t prove it of course, but you couldn’t shake the slight tingle on the back of your neck no matter what part of the room you were in.

           More and more people drifted out of the party until there was only you, and the Solos left.  You offered to stay behind and help clean up, but Leia waved you off.

           “You go home and get some rest,” she said.  “I’m going to be working you like a dog come Monday anyway.  By the way, where did you park?”

           “Just a little ways up the hill.”

           “Would you like someone to walk you back?”

           “No, I’m alright,” you said, shaking your head.  “It’s not that far.”

           “I don’t know, it’s getting dark.  I’d feel better if someone walked with you.”

           She then turned, partially yelling into the kitchen.

           “Ben, would you walk Y/N to her car?”

           You felt your heart rate spike in a mild panic, but you tried your best to keep it off your face.

           “Oh no, he doesn’t have to.”

           “I don’t mind,” he said walking into the room.  He then turned to you giving a small shrug.  “Mom’s right, the road’s pretty narrow and people tend to not look where they’re going.  Better to walk with someone who’s hard to miss.”

           He said it so matter-of-factly you fought the urge to laugh.

           “Well, that settles it then,” Leia said.

           You tried desperately to think of a counter argument, but by then Ben had grabbed his jacket and was waiting patiently for you by the door.

           You walked passed him into the evening air.  You walked in step in silence.  You didn’t want to admit it, but you were happy he had decided to walk with you. You hadn’t realized just how low the sun had gotten and there were hardly any street lamps lining the road away from the house. Even still, it felt strange and once you were out of view of the front door, you felt the need to speak up.

          “You really don’t have to walk me back,” you said politely.  

           “Consider it an apology, for being rude,” he said.

           You raised an eyebrow, at the understatement.  

           “Rude?”

           “A dick,” he corrected.  “I was being a dick.”

           He let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his head before continuing.

          “Look my mom has been getting on my ass about finding someone, so when she introduced us I assumed she was trying to set us up and… well, sorry.”

          You couldn’t help but be surprised by his apology.  Ben Solo struck you as the type of person who never apologize to anyone.  His tone was sincere, if not a little tired, but you figured it was about as good as you were going to get.

           “Apology accepted,” you said with a nod.

           That earned you a small smile and the air between you suddenly felt much more comfortable.

           You took the opportunity to examine him properly.  You stood by your initial assessment of him being handsome, though maybe not in the most conventional sense of the word.  His nose was a little bigger than one would consider normal.  His smooth face was spotted in freckles, and as he brushed some of his hair out of his face, you caught a glance of some rather large ears.  You wondered briefly if he kept his hair as long as he did to hide them. Separately, all those things might had been off putting, but they seemed to all fit together perfectly on him.

           An image suddenly came to mind of Leia sitting with Ben at the dinner table asking when she was going to have grandkids.  You never saw her as the matchmaker type, but then again, the Solos were proving to be full of surprises.  A small laugh escaped your lips as you pictured those ears of his going completely red with a flustered expression to accompany it.

           “What’s funny?” he asked glancing over at you.

           “Nothing,” you said, pushing down the laughter into a smile. “Just the idea of Leia trying to set us up.”

           Apparently, he didn’t find it nearly as funny as you did, as his mouth twisted into a frown.

           “I didn’t realize the idea of dating me was so humorous.”

           You cursed yourself inwardly, realizing your mistake.  You seemed to finally be getting along too.

           “That’s not…” you let out a frustrated sigh, trying to figure out a way to explain it. “That’s not what I meant.”

           “Then what? You have a boyfriend or something?” he asked.

           It was your turn to frown, one part out of confusion and one part in annoyance at how the entire conversation seemed to be going.

           “Okay, first of all, I don’t need to have a boyfriend in order to not want to get into a relationship with my boss’s son,” you explained sternly. “Second of all, yes I do.”  

           Ben raised his eyebrows in insultingly clear shock.

           “Really?”

           “Yep,” you said, snapping the p for emphasis. “Been dating for about six months.”

           “Six months,” he repeated, nodding his head. “What’s he like?”

           You opened your mouth ready for an onslaught of adjectives to describe Mark to pour from your mouth, but nothing came.

All you could come up with was a rather defensive, “He’s nice.”

           “Nice?”

           “And smart,” you managed. “And he has a job…”

           “Sounds dreamy.”

           You felt yourself get hit with a wave of embarrassment, making you feel all the more hostile towards the man.

           “You know what? I don’t have to explain this to you,” you said sharply.  

           “Sorry for asking.”

           Another silence fell between you and you felt a sudden impatience to just get back to your car and go home.

           You glanced over at Ben, surprised to see him smiling at something in the distance.  

           “What are you so happy about?”

           He turned back to you, raising an eyebrow.  

           “Can’t a guy enjoy the view?”

           You paused a moment taking the chance to look out onto the horizon and immediately had to agree.  

          From the hilltop, you could see the sun was setting across the water.  The pink of the sky was starting to disappear, transitioning into shades of purple. Lights from the streets and buildings were only just starting to turn on, finding a perfect balance between day and night.  It reminded you of some romantic comedy you watched years ago, the two lovers walking along the road while cheesy montage music swelled. The whole scene was tailor made for it.

           “It is kind of romantic isn’t it.”

          The words slipped out before you had a chance to stop it.  You froze taking a cautious look over at Ben, who was standing right beside you.  He didn’t look at you, instead he kept his eyes forward maintaining a completely passive expression.  

           “Shame it’s just you and me then,” he said, with a shrug.  “We don’t have much of a shot.  You’re not my type at all.”  

           He glanced over at you and you couldn’t tell if he was joking or trying to insult you.  You decided better safe than sorry, and stuck out your chin in defiance.

           “Really?”

           “Yep, not spark in sight,” he said before looking back at the setting sun, and letting out a mournful sigh.

          “Waste of a lovely night.”

          He then started walking, while you stood frozen in your spot.  You didn’t know why you felt so angry.  You weren’t looking for his approval, but the casual way he just dismissed you only sparked your anger.

          Before you had a chance to think clearly, you ran to catch up, stopping just as you got in front of him making him stop in his tracks.

          “You say there’s nothing here?” you said, straining your neck to meet his eyes. “Let me make something perfectly clear. I’ll be the one to make that call.”

          He then had the audacity to smirk at you.

          “But you’ll call?”

          You felt a small blush on your cheeks at your mistake, but brushed it off quickly only using that embarrassment to fuel you.

          “I’ll admit, you look cute in that polyester suit.”

          “It’s wool,” he corrected, looking at least mildly insulted.

          “But you’re right,” you continued. “I’d never fall for you at all.”

          You then turned and started walking.  You could hear his footsteps behind you.

          “Maybe this would appeal to someone who hasn’t been in heels for over four hours,” you said casually.  “Or to some girl looking for a chance at romance, but I’m frankly feeling nothing.”

          “Is that so?” he said, his voice growing noticeably irritated.

          “Or it could be less than nothing,” you added.

          “Good to know. So, you agree?”

          “You were right,” you nodded. “What waste of a lovely night.”

          Before you had time to react, you felt him grab your hand pulling you back to face him.  You stumbled slightly making you step closer to him so you were practically chest to chest.

          He seemed just as taken aback by how close you were as you were.  

          You got the impression he had some clever zinger to shut you up with ready to go, but it had died on his lips the moment you turned around. He didn’t step away though, and after a beat of silence, you realized you weren’t stepping back either.

          At this distance, you got a real appreciation of just how tall he actually was. Even on an incline and in heels, the top of your head barely reached his shoulder. He was looking down straight into your eyes and you felt your heart start to hammer in your chest.  His eyes weren’t as dark as you originally thought.  They were outlined with a thin dark line which quickly turned to a caramel color around the edges, it then transitioned into darker shade as they neared his pupils turning into a chocolate brown.  You had never thought of brown eyes as anything extraordinary, but he was certainly making a case for them.

          A part of you wanted to look away.  You knew you had been staring too long, but then again, if you were, he was too.

          His eyes then flickered downward lingering just a second too long on your lips before looking back.

          You felt your breath catch in your throat and your heart start to hammer in your chest.  It wouldn’t take much effort for him to kiss you.  All he would have to do was lean down slightly and you could finally discover if his lips were as soft as they appeared.

          Your cheeks grew hot as soon as the thought crossed your mind, but you couldn’t find it in you to feel guilty about it.  Unfortunately, you never got the chance to find out.  

          At the moment, a car horn honked.

          Ben looked up, and his eyes went wide.  Before you had time to turn around, he pulled you towards the side of the road just in time for a car to come roaring past you.  

          “Speed limit is 25 asshole!” Ben called after them.

          It of course did nothing, but it seemed to make him feel better. He turned back to you, looking you up and down.

          “Are you okay?”

          You nodded your head, trying to catch your breath after the sudden rush of adrenaline.

          He then seemed to notice the limited amount of space between you and took a step back.

          “We better find your car before something like that happens again,” he said roughly.

          “Good idea,” you managed, knowing the moment was gone.

          You felt a sudden sadness take over you, but you shook it off as best you could. You turned up towards the road, once again pulling out your car keys and pressing the lock button vaguely into the distance.

          Just a few car lengths ahead of you, you saw the back lights of your car turn on and off.  You let out a sigh of relief, before turning back to Ben.

          He looked awkward all the sudden, like a teenager who hadn’t quite gotten hold of his limbs.  He put his hands in his pockets, and kept his head down, not quite looking you in the eye.

          You weren’t doing much better yourself as you held your arm as some sort of comfort.

          You felt like you should say something substantial, or clever, but all you managed as a quiet, “Thank you” before turning back around toward your car.

          You stepped inside and checked your rear-view mirror to see Ben standing there for a brief moment before turning back down the hill.

          You didn’t move from your seat until he was out of sight and even then, you lingered a little while longer.  You looked out the passenger window, looking toward the horizon which was now only illuminated by the moon and the speckled lights of the city below.  

          You shook your head, buckled your seat belt and switched on the engine.

          Damn that lovely night. And God damn Ben Solo.


	2. Chapter 2

           Despite your best efforts, you couldn’t get Ben Solo out of your head.  

           It felt terribly cliché.  You had a boyfriend.  He was your boss’s son.  His first words to you were literally an insult, and yet you couldn’t help but wonder what would had happened if he kissed you.  

           You had hoped having lunch with Mark would had driven such notions from your mind, but he was working the rest of the weekend. You tried to meet maybe for dinner instead or just a walk, but he kept knocking you down, getting more irritated at every suggestion.  He finally settled on squeezing you in for lunch on Monday.  

          He had used that exact phrasing too.  

          You wanted nothing more than to cuss the man out, but you knew it wouldn’t resolve anything.  So, you went to work Monday morning with no packed lunch and confused emotions.

          Leia hadn’t been joking when she said she was going to work you like a dog.  The moment you came in you were bombarded with emails and calls.  Thankfully, this kept your mind occupied and far away from Mark or Ben.  It was almost eleven by the time you got a semblance of a break.  Leia had finally come in after some morning meeting and started taking come of the calls which had piled up during the course of the morning.

          It was then Rey walked toward you and your mood immediately brightened.  She was one of the youngest members of the staff and absolutely brilliant at research. She had also become one of your closest friends.

          “Thought you might need this,” she said, handing you a cup of coffee exactly how you liked it.

          You signed in relief, taking it gratefully with both hands.

          “You are an angel,” you said before taking a nice long sip.

          “Aren’t I just,” she grinned.  She then took a seat on your desk and made herself comfortable.

           “So, Senator Organa’s party,” she asked casually. “What was that like?”

           You held back a smile.  You couldn’t help but wonder how long she had been sitting on that question.  She had been almost as excited as you were about being invited.  You admired her restraint in not calling you immediately after.

           “Not as bad as you would think,” you said easily. “Most of it was family friends. I think she was trying to keep it low key.”

           Rey nodded in understanding, if not a little disappointed.

           “Well, Mark must have liked that,” she said off hand.

           You felt your stomach twist slightly at the reminder.  You took a sip of your coffee to cover it up, but, unfortunately, Rey had noticed.

          “He didn’t go, did he?” she said, rhetorically.

          You let out a sigh.

           “He got busy.”

           “Y/N…”

           “Rey,” you interrupted, giving her a look that told her very simply to drop it.

           She looked like that was the last thing she wanted to do, but let it go.  She had made no secret about her dislike for Mark.  Hell, nobody in the office seemed to particularly like him, and honestly, you were just starting to see why. 

          You knew things were probably going to come to an end between the two of you sooner rather than later, but the entire mess that would surely follow wasn’t something you wanted to think about at that moment. Thankfully, Rey took initiative and changed the subject.  

           “Well, either way, low key must mean you got to know people a little better than you would otherwise,” she said brightly.

           “Yeah, a little bit,” you said, smiling. “Although most of them can get pretty long winded.”

           Rey huffed out a laugh, causing you to laugh as well.  Both of you knew well enough just how much politicians liked to here themselves talk.  

           “So, nothing of real interest then,” she asked.

          “Well, Leia had to break up a verbal sparring between Han and Mon Mothma,” you said, thinking back to Leia’s look on controlled panic.  Yet another reason you admired her so much, no matter what the situation, she always seemed to have it under control.

          It was then you also remembered who you had been standing with.

          You felt your stomach knot again. It must had shown on your face as Rey quickly caught it.

           “And what else?” she asked.

           You tried desperately to think of some excuse, but you couldn’t come up anything.  Besides, it wasn’t that big a deal. At least, that’s what you kept telling yourself.

           “And I met Leia’s son,” you said, trying to sound casual.

           Rey’s eyes widened.

           “What? Really?”

           “Yeah, he’s home for the holidays, I guess,” you shrugged. “I didn’t ask.”

           “What’s he like?”

          You paused, trying to find the right word to describe Ben Solo. Imposing? Awkward? Witty? Aloof? Nothing seemed to fit.  

          “He’s…interesting,” you decided, lamely.

          Rey raised her eyebrow.

           “Well that’s a diplomatic way to say absolutely nothing.”  

           “I didn’t talk to him that much,” you defended. “He’s just…hard to read.”

           “I thought you were supposed to be good at that sort of thing.”

           “I am,” you said giving a small huff of frustration. “But I’m stumped. So, for the moment he will remain simply interesting.”

           You glanced up at Rey and noticed she was giving you a rather devious look.

          “What?” you asked cautiously.

          Rey shook her head, switching over to an innocent smile.

           “Nothing.”

           “What?”

           “Nothing,” she emphasized, as that innocent smile turned into a sly smirk. “Just…interesting.”

           Your mouth quickly turned into a frown at the implication.

           “Don’t you have a job to do?” you asked dryly.

           Rey held up her hands in surrender and slid off the desk.  

           “Oh, by the way Rose, Finn, and I were planning on getting lunch together.  Poe said he’ll be able to meet up too.  Want to come?”

           Your spirits lightened at the prospect.  You hadn’t seen Poe in almost a month.  He was a lawyer who occasionally helped Leia and her associates in legal matters should the occasion arise.  He was also possibly the most irritatingly charming and likable person you had ever met.  As for Finn and Rose, they had both left good impression on you even if you weren’t as close to them as you were with Rey.  Rose was a spit fire underneath her bubbly exterior and Finn was always kind to you, not to mention just plain funny.  He and Rey also had the side effect of being the most adorable couple you’d ever seen.  

           You were all ready to say yes but stumbled when you remembered your prior engagement.

           “I would,” you said regretfully, “but I’m going to be meeting up with Mark.  He said he’d pick me up here.”

           Rey’s face twisted into a small frown, but she didn’t say anything.

           “Alright, maybe later?”

           You gave a small nod and she walked back to her desk.  

           About an hour later the three of them left, and you couldn’t help wishing you had gone with them.  

          You kept working, glancing up at the clock every now and then as well as the door waiting for Mark to show up.  You also left your phone on your desk, checking and double checking to make sure the sound was on.  After half an hour of waiting, there was nothing.  

           You let out a sigh of frustration as you felt your stomach rumble.  You had to get something to eat.  Mark wasn’t coming, and you were tired of waiting.  In a matter of minutes, you finished up you last email, knocked on Leia’s door to tell her you were taking your lunch break and made your way out of the building.

           The office was located in the financial district of the city meaning there was a restaurant and Starbucks on every block for about a half mile radius.  A number of them where higher-class joints meant to impress business associates, but thankfully there were enough mid-tier restaurants to keep the people like you from having to drop fifty dollars for a plate of pasta.

          You walked along until you found your favorite corner diner tucked neatly under a large parking structure.

          The one plus side of getting a later lunch was you weren’t fighting the crowds. You ordered at the register and quickly found a seat in one of the booths sitting against the window, allowing you a decent view of the restaurant and the street. It was relatively quiet, enough you could actually hear the jukebox over the low mummer of conversation.  You instantly felt at peace and allowed the day’s worries to slide off you as you gazed lazily out the window.  You knew the moment you left the building it would be back to the grindstone, so you were going to enjoy it while it lasted.

          The small ding from the door was enough to distract you from your thoughts as you glanced to see who had just come in.  

          Your whole body immediately froze.

          It was Ben Solo.  

           You sat in your booth staring at him despite yourself as he glanced around the area.  You prayed silently he wouldn’t spot you.  You thought briefly about hiding under the table until he was seated, but dismissed it as being childish. You then considered ducking to the bathroom for a few minutes, but it was too late.  His gaze drifted over to your side of the restaurant and his eyes caught yours.

           To you surprise and odd relief, he seemed just as caught off guard at seeing you there as you were. He turned his head away and up at the menu, making a show of looking it over carefully.

          You looked down at the table, feeling your cheeks growing hot. Maybe if you were very, very lucky he’d decide he didn’t like anything on the menu and just leave.  A quick opening and closing of the register told you otherwise as you glanced up in time to see him grab his number and place his change in the tip jar.

           He looked back over to you, meeting your eye once more. He offered you a small awkward smile and shrug as a silent “what can you do”.  You smiled in return, feeling a mix of embarrassment and amusement at the whole situation.  You were a grown woman, not a teenager in a YA novel trying to avoid their crush.  Besides, you didn’t even have a crush on him.  

          Regaining yourself, you lifted your hand, and silently waved him over.

           He looked hesitant, but it only lasted a moment before he made his way over to you.  He kept eye contact with you the entire time, but it seemed to cause him some strain as his hands kept fidgeting with the number plaque in his hand.  To be honest, you were in the same position, but tried your best to keep it off your face.

           He stopped, standing beside the booth across from you.  For a beat neither of you said anything.  

           “I swear I’m not stalking you,” he finally said.

           You raised an eyebrow, trying to hold back a laugh from escaping your lips.

           “That wasn’t what I was thinking, but I appreciate the sentiment.”

           He did laugh at that, running a hand through his hair.

           “Yeah, probably shouldn’t have opened with that,” he said awkwardly.  “What are you doing here?”

           “On my break,” you said simply.  “You?”

           “Just looking around,” he shrugged.  “Plenty of night clubs around here, thought I’d see if anyone was hiring.”

           Your brows furrowed in confusion as you stared at him. There went your visiting for the holidays theory.

           “I didn’t think you’d be sticking around.”

           “Disappointed?” he asked, giving you a wry smile.

           You rolled your eyes but couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across your face.

            “Let’s go with curious,” you said diplomatically. You nodded down to the seat across from you. “Do you want to sit down?”

           Ben obliged, giving you a small nod as he slid into the booth.

           “Nice place,” he commented, looking around.

           “I like it,” you said. “Which also kind of begs the question, are we really going to leave you coming to this particular diner, at this particular time to crazy random happenstance?”

           “Well, my mom did suggest this place when I told her I was going to be job hunting,” he said, giving you a look, which told you well enough his suspicions.  

           You felt your cheeks grow hot again. You tried to cover it by placing a hand over your face, but your embarrassment was obvious.

           “We could always take the high road and say coincidence,” Ben said, smiling a little.

           You nodded fervently in agreement.

           “Let’s go with that.”

           Once the initial awkwardness was out of the way, he was surprisingly easy to talk to.  Hell, he was downright interesting to talk to.  

           He told you how his parents initially intended him to become a lawyer.  He went through the first four years and was accepted into law school.  He was all primed to go, but the first semester, he snapped.  It wasn’t what he wanted, and so he left, moved to New York and tried to make it as a musician.

           “It was the only thing I ever really loved doing,” he said.  “I didn’t really see the point of going into something that was only going to make me miserable.”

           “So, why come back,” you asked.

           He ran his hand through his hair.  You had started to take note he did that whenever he was feeling particularly uncomfortable or frustrated.  You gathered this one was the former.

           “I didn’t exactly hang around the best people,” he admitted. “I was trying so hard to not be like my parents, I ended up making some pretty stupid decisions in retrospect. Luckily, I woke up before I did anything too harmful, but I knew I had to straighten myself out.”

           “And that’s when you decided to come back?”

          “More or less,” he said.  “I mean, I don’t plan to stay for long, just enough to get back on my feet and come up with a different plan.”

          He glanced at you briefly before his eyes shifted to the table and his hand went to his hair once more.

          “Sounds kind of pathetic now that I say it out loud.”

           “No,” you said, shaking your head. “No, I think it’s actually pretty brave.”

           He looked back up at you then, giving you a strange look.

           “Not everyone has it in them to drop everything and do what they really want to do,” you said simply. “And it takes even more to admit when you’ve screwed up. You’ve got guts.”

           He continued to stare at you in silence, watching your face carefully.  Slowly, he started to realize you meant every word.

           “Thanks,” he said, softly.

          You felt a shift then.  You couldn’t put your finger on what it was, but something in the way he looked at you said you were now filed under something deeper and more intimate than casual acquaintance.  

          “What about you?” he asked, breaking your thoughts. “Are you doing what you want to do?”

           “I’m not sure how I should approach that question,” you said wryly.

           Ben gave a sideways smile.

           “She won’t hear anything from me,” he promised.

           You gave a small laugh shaking your head. You had a feeling that was going to be a consistent joke between the two of you now.

           “Yes and no,” you said honestly. “Yes, in that I’m working for someone I respect and support.  I get to influence things behind the scenes without having to stand in the spotlight and I get a nice steady paycheck.  I guess it’s more of the personal stuff that’s up in the air.”

           “Your boyfriend?” he asked.

           You felt your stomach tighten at the mention as a surge of guilt filled you. 

           Ben caught your discomfort immediately.

          “Sorry,” he said, looking a bit guilty himself at his lack of tact. “Not my business.”

           “It’s okay, I brought it up,” you said with a sigh, “but yeah, a little bit.”

           You shook your head, trying to best to keep your mind from going down that road.

“You know what, let’s not talk about that,” you said, covering your discomfort with a smile.

           Ben was more than happy to change the subject and you moved on to some more light-hearted topics.  

          You found yourself smiling and laugh more than you had in a surprisingly long time.  He was oddly charming in his own way, with a streak of dry sarcasm you couldn’t help but appreciate.  He also took the time to listen to you, watching you intently whenever you spoke as if trying to catch every nuance of your tone and expression.  You felt like you should had been intimidated, but you knew there was no malice behind it, just an honest curiosity.

           You were so caught up in your conversation you hardly noticed the time passing until you felt your phone vibrate in your pocket.  

           You pulled it out, seeing a text from Rey and realized you had been in the booth for an hour and a half.

           “Shit,” you cursed, scrambling out of your seat. “I am beyond late.”

           “Let me come with you,” he offered, getting up as well.

           You stopped slightly, feeling a slight heat go to your cheeks.

           “Oh, no, you don’t have to do that.”

           “It’s fine.  I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble because of me,” he said casually. “Besides, I’ve got nowhere else to be.”

           You opened your mouth to protest further but realized quickly it would be no use.  You discovered quickly he wasn’t the type to back down once he made up his mind, and, you had to admit, it was a sweet gesture.  A small smile appeared on your face at the thought.

           “Thanks.”

           You walked briskly out of the diner with Ben taking step right beside you.

           In less than ten minutes you were back in Leia’s office with the front door swinging closed behind you.

           Rey was there to greet you in a second, looking slightly worried.

           “Are you okay?” she asked.  “You were gone for so long, I thought you and Mark…”

           She trailed off, finally noticing Ben walk into the office just behind you.

           “Not Mark,” Rey said, looking Ben up and down suspiciously.

           Ben for his part looked slightly taken aback, if not a little intimidated by the young woman staring him down.

           “Rey, this is Ben Solo, Leia’s son,” you introduced. “Ben, this is my friend Rey.”

           “Nice to meet you,” he said, sticking out his hand.

           Rey’s eyes widened in understanding, taking a moment to glance between the two of you before taking his hand and shaking it.

           “Likewise,” she said.

           Before she could say anything else, and to your complete surprise, Poe stepped in, smiling broadly.

           “Ben, hey,” he said brightly.  “Where the hell have you been?”

           You and Rey stared in shock, as Poe quickly took Ben’s hand and pulled him into one of those one arm bro hugs you only every really seen on TV.  

           “Poe,” Ben said in disbelief.  “You work here?”

           “Only when Leia needs me,” Poe said with a shrug. “Christ, it’s been forever. Why didn’t you tell me you were in town?”

           Ben looked a little sheepish, as he rubbed the back of his neck.  

           “I didn’t know you were here.  I haven’t really been keeping track of people.”

           “Wait, how do you guys know each other?” you asked.

           “We were roommates through most of college,” Poe explained with a grin. “Even ended up in the same law school.  Jesus, it really has been a long time.”

           You felt the sudden urge to laugh at the image of Poe Dameron and Ben Solo being roommates.  You couldn’t help but draw parallels between Elphaba and Glinda from Wicked no matter how hard you tried to push it down.

           Poe’s brows then furrowed in confusion switching his gaze between you and Ben at a rapid pace.

           “Wait, how do you two know each other,” Poe asked, as if suddenly realizing the pair of you had walked in together.

           Ben shifted slightly in his stance, looking like a child who just got caught doing something he wasn’t supposed.

           “Mom introduced us,” he mumbled, giving Poe a pleading look.

           Poe looked him over carefully, and then to you, and back to Ben again, as a smile spread across his face.

           “Good, about time you crazy kids met,” he said.

           You wanted to ask what the hell he meant by that, when a new voice entered the conversation.

           “Y/N,” Mark called.

           You turned as your boyfriend walked into the office, brief case in hand and looking rather put out.

           “Mark, what are you doing here?” you asked.  

           “I’m here to take you to lunch,” he said. “You’re the one who insisted on it.”

           You felt your anger rise at his tone but did you best to keep it out of your voice.

           “Sorry, I already ate,” you said.  “I didn’t hear from you and so assumed you were getting something at the office.”

           “Well, you could had let me know before I came all the way down here,” he said briskly.  His attention then turned to Ben, giving him a quick once over.  “Who is this?”

           “Benjamin Organa-Solo,” Ben said, making so effort to hide the contempt in his voice.  “Who the hell are you?”

           Mark noticeably taken aback by the name and the delivery. Meanwhile Rey and Poe each were trying to hide their own smiles.

           “Mark Thompson,” he said, regaining some of his confidence.  “Attorney at Burke and Jones.”

           “Hacks,” Poe coughed out, earning him a glare from Mark.

           “Shut it Dameron,” he bit back.

           Ben remained unimpressed as he stared the man down.

           “I wasn’t asking for a resume,” he said.  “I asked who the hell are you?”

           Mark straightened his stance.  He was by no means a short man, but everything about him seemed dwarfed in comparison making the effort almost comical.

           “I happen to be Y/N’s boyfriend.” He then turned to you, nodding his head towards Ben. “I take it, he’s the reason you took an early lunch.”

           You felt your entire body stiffen at the implication.

           “I waited on you for a half an hour,” you said tightly.  “You didn’t call. I went to the diner. I ran into Ben.  That’s it.”

           “Of course, it is,” he said sarcastically. “Just a crazy coincidence.”

           It was then you noticed the sudden silence around you.  You glanced around the room, realizing all eyes were now on you and Mark.

           “Can we save this discussion for later,” you said in a low voice.

           Mark either didn’t catch your meaning or didn’t care.

           “You really are something else,” he said sharply. “I guess you’re learning more about what it takes to get into politics than I originally thought.”

           Everybody around you stiffened knowing perfectly well what he meant by that.

          Rey looked astonish.  Poe was pissed, and Ben looked like he was about ready to hit the man. He opened his mouth to say something, when you cut him off.  

           “Copy room, now,” you said sharply.

           You didn’t give Mark time to argue, as you grabbed him by the arm and pulled him across the office.

           Ben made a move to follow only to be stopped by Poe.

           “Trust me you don’t want to get into that,” he said. “This storm has been brewing for a while.”

           You yanked Mark into the room before promptly slamming the door behind you.

           “What the fuck is your problem!” you snapped.

           Mark eyes widened. There were only a handful of times he had seen you truly upset and this was the first time it was landing full force at him. He recovered from the shock relatively quickly and held his ground.

           “What is my problem?” he retorted.  

           “You do not talk to me like ever,” you said harshly. “Especially in front of my co-workers, you asshole!”

           “I’m not the one flirting with the boss’s son.”

           “Flirting? I was standing next to him.”

           “You took off to go on a date with him instead of waiting up for me.  Do I look like an idiot?”

           “Frankly, yes. I told you we met up by accident.”

           Mark let out a scoff.

           “C’mon Y/N give me some credit.”

           “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

           He shook his head, looking at you as if the answer was the most obvious thing in the world.

           “Look, I get it.  You’re in politics, you want to move up in the world and that means occasionally you have to schmooze people,” he said with only superficially covering his contempt. “I just didn’t think you would sink to seducing your way to the top.  I thought you had more respect for yourself then that.”

           His words hit you like a tidal wave, washing over you and sinking into your clothes and skin and straight to your bones.  You stared at him, mouth open, and at a total loss from words.  

           “So that’s what you really think of me?” you asked, trying to get a grip on the situation.

           “It doesn’t take that much imagination.”

           You felt it then. It wasn’t a burning anger, rather the creaking crackle of ice growing in your heart and spreading outwards.

           “Not much,” you said coolly, “but just enough and of a certain kind.”  

           You stood a step closer to him, straightening your back to make sure he was looking straight into your eyes.

          “You want the honest truth,” you asked sharply. “I met him at Leia’s party where his first words to me were an insult. I didn’t talk to him for the rest of the night until Leia asked him to walk me to my car. He apologized for his behavior and I drove home.  I then ran into him during lunch today because he is job hunting. We talked for a while, he walked me back because he didn’t want me to get in trouble with Leia. Rey and Poe started talking to us and that is when you came in.  That is the beginning and the end of it.”

          Mark stared at you in silence for a moment, his anger fading away.

           “Leia introduced you?”

           “Yes.”

           He again, kept silent, averting his gaze as he processed the information.

          “Do you need me to walk you down to the diner to interview the wait staff?” you asked sardonically.

          He met your eyes again as understanding finally took over.

           “That’s really it?” he asked.

           “Yes.”

           He let out a breath of relief, followed by mild embarrassment.

           “Christ Y/N, I’m sorry,” he said.  He placed his hands on your arms, giving you an easy smile.

          “Look, let’s go to dinner tonight and put this whole thing behind us,” he said gently. “Just promise me you’ll only use your wits to get ahead, and not those fabulous legs of yours.”

          His tone was light, as he playfully looked down at your legs.  

          You stared at him in utter disbelief, the ice only hardening in your heart and voice.

           “Are you serious?”

           He looked at you surprised, but did his best to keep the smile on.  

           “C’mon babe, you know I’m joking.”

           You stepped out of his grip, the anger only growing.

           “No, you weren’t.”

           His smile faded.  His brows furrowing as his own anger rose to the surface once more.

           “Is it too much to ask my girlfriend to be loyal?” he snapped.

           “Not at all,” you conceded, “but I guess it’s too much to ask my boyfriend to respect me.”

           You stuck your chin out in defiance, nodding your head towards the door.

           “You need to leave. We’re done.”

           “Done with this conversation or…”

           “No, we’re done,” you repeated. “I’ll leave your stuff in a box in the hallway.  You can pick it up tomorrow, don’t bother knocking on the door.”

           Mark studied you up and down, his expression shifting form disbelief, to sinking understanding, to a mild panic.

           “You’re serious,” he said, his eyes widening.  “Well, let’s not be hasty, we can talk about this.”

           “We just did,” you said. “You made your opinion of me perfectly clear. Now leave.”

           He looked like he wanted to get more into it, searching his brain for some way to leave on the moral high ground.

           “Whatever,” he bit out. “You’re not going to find another guy like me anyway.”

           “Yeah, that’s kind of the point.”

           Mark glared at you, but didn’t say anything more as he stormed out of the copy room and slammed the door behind you.

           You waited a couple of seconds to make sure he wasn’t coming back and let out a sigh.

           It was over. It had been a long time coming, but it was finally done.  You rubbed your hand across your face waiting for the full weight of your decision to hit you, but all you could think about was just how soon you could get his stuff out of your place.

           The door opened, and you felt yourself going back into a defensive position.

           “I told you—”

           You cut yourself off.  Rey stuck her head the room, giving you a small smile.

           You returned the smile with an apologetic look.

“Sorry,” you said lamely.  

           “It’s alright,” she said, fully entering and closing the door behind her. “He’s gone by the way, made quite a huff on his way out.”

           You felt yourself wince slightly in embarrassment.  

           “He didn’t run into Ben did he?” you asked.

           Rey shook her head.

           “No, Ben ducked out almost as soon as you came in here.”

           You nodded in understanding.

           “Probably for the best,” you said.  You glanced half-heartedly at the door knowing full well the whole staff had probably listened in on your argument.

          “How bad is it out there?”

           “Well, Poe collecting the money from the office pool,” Rey admitted. “So, you might want to wait a few minutes.”

           “Pool?”

           “Of when and how the two of you would break up.”

           You didn’t know whether to be embarrassed, annoyed or mildly impressed.  You settled on the latter with a hard laugh.  

           “What’d you bet on?” you asked.

           “Well, basically everyone agreed you would break up with him first, but I thought you were going to make it a couple more weeks.”

           She at least had the decency to sound a little sheepish at the confession.

           You shook your head, unable to stop the ironic smile from spreading across your face.

           “Who had the winning bet?”

           “Poe and Rose. Finn was close, but he thought you were going to do it over the phone.”

           You let out a small groan, running your hand through your hair as the reality of the entire situation finally came down on you.

           “Did everyone know besides me?”

           “More or less,” Rey shrugged, as her expression shifted slightly to one of concern. “Are you alright?”

           You let out a sigh and nodded your head.

           “Yeah, weirdly enough.”

           You kept on expecting to cry, or explode, or have some other form of emotional episode, but all you got was a sense of relief and a twist of guilt.

          “Does that make me a bad person?” you asked.

           “Probably means he wasn’t worth your time to begin with,” Rey said simply.

           You gave her a small smile.  

          “Yeah, maybe.”

          You weren’t quite sure if you believed her, but you appreciated the sentiment anyway.

           Your eyes shifted back towards the door as you mentally prepared yourself for what was on the other side.

           “Alright, time to face the music.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, if you like this, check out my tumblr @https://shenanigans-and-imagines.tumblr.com
> 
> Please leave a comment and kudos if you are so inclined


	3. Chapter 3

           The next few weeks weren’t nearly as painful as you had expected.  

          Coming home that night and packing everything away only strengthened your resolve. Rey had been kind enough to help you, but in all honesty, there wasn’t much to do.

          Nothing personal of Mark’s went into the box, just a toothbrush, a pair of pants, and a few shirts.  Nothing distinctly him.  

           He had made a bit of a fuss when you exchanged boxes.  He was adamant you had a shirt he had been missing for weeks and insisted he looked around your apartment to check.  

           You shut him down quickly enough, countering with the fact that if he had been missing it for so long, he should had come by before you broke up.  

           You knew you were being petty.  It would had been easy enough to tell him you simply didn’t have it, but you found some satisfaction in seeing his face go a little red just before you slammed the door on him.

           Examining your own box proved to be no better.  It was exactly the same as his with the exception of an additional watch and a picture of the two of you that wasn’t even yours.

           It was of the pair of you on one of your first dates, smiling happily into the camera as you laid your head on his shoulder with his arm wrapped around you.  You knew for a fact he hadn’t printed it out prior to your break up and most definitely put it in as a reminder of what you were giving up, but it did nothing. You threw it in the trash with the same nonchalance of throwing out a banana peel.

           In all honestly, it was your lack of response to breaking up that bothered you more than the break up itself.  It was becoming more and more apparent to you that the only reason you had dated him in the first place, was that you were lonely.

           You worked hard.  You knew you did and often times that had bothered past boyfriends. You had tried to make it work, but there was only so much time in the day.  Mark was the only one who seemed to understand.  

          If you were going to be fair, you had cancelled on him more than once, but you had always tried to make up for it in some way.  You expected the same of him, but after a few months it became obvious that he wasn’t going to be the one to compromise.  

          Looking back, it shouldn’t have surprised you that he had no respect for you.  You had let a lot of things slide just for the smallest sliver of attention.  It felt rather pathetic once you thought about it, and you couldn’t help going into a bit of a slump after that revelation.

           Luckily, you weren’t alone.

           Rey was with you the entire way and was always there to listen whenever you felt like you needed to vent.  Finn and Rose made a point to invite you to join them for lunch or hanging out after work.  Even Leia seemed to have your back, giving her compliments a little more freely than she normally would.  

          There were also your co-workers.  

          After stepping out of the copy room, you had expected to be met with whispers and rumors, and the occasional skeptical glare in your direction, but it never came.  It was as if they had all collectively decided to ignore all the accusations Mark had thrown at you.  Life went on as if nothing had happened, with the silent promise that they were on your side.

           You felt your heart warm at the gesture and soon enough you were back to your old self, working as hard as ever to show just how much you appreciated all of them.  

          The only thing that truly nagged at the back of your mind was the fact you hadn’t seen Ben at all.

           You knew you shouldn’t be surprised.  He didn’t really know you and wasn’t in a position to handle a breakup.  A breakup he had accidentally stumbled right into the middle of.  

          No, you couldn’t blame him for not wanting to see you, but a part of you felt a little hurt regardless.  

          You had thought about calling him, just the clear the air, but quickly dismissed it. You didn’t even have his number, and after a few weeks it seemed strange to start asking around.

          It was probably for the best, or so you kept telling yourself.

          You kept busy and before you knew it, a month had passed since Mark darkened your doorstep.

          You were sitting on the couch in your pajamas half working on your laptop while your favorite show played in the background.  

          Your phone rang.  Looking down your face immediately brightened at seeing Poe’s name flash on the screen.

          “Hey,” you greeted, pausing the TV.

          “Hey stranger,” Poe said. “What’s up?”

          “Just working. For what do I owe the pleasure?”

          “How’s your Friday night looking?”

          Your brows creased in surprise and subtle suspicion at the question.

          “Free, short of a natural disaster, why?”

          “I finally got some time off.  I thought we could all meet up.  We still haven’t had a proper celebration for you dumping that jerk right on his ass.”

          You shook your head.  You should had known.  Poe had been the most vocal about his dislike of Mark from the very beginning.  Truthfully, you were more surprised it took him this long to bring up it up.

          “Might be too little too late Dameron,” you said dryly. “Rey kinda beat you do it.”

          “The two of you drinking wine on the couch is not celebrating,” he objected.  “I’m talking middle finger to the world, singing karaoke, and dancing on table tops.”

          You raised an eyebrow at his description.

          “Since when have I ever danced on a table top.”

          You could practically hear his eyes rolling in the background.

          “You know what a mean. C’mon I know how hard you’ve been working, just a night to relax.”

          You first instinct was to tell him flat out no. Clubs weren’t really your scene, post breakup or not and you weren’t so keen on dragging a drunk Poe Dameron into a taxi no matter how hilarious it could be.  On the other hand, you hadn’t properly gone out in a long time, and spending so many nights in with just Netflix was starting to get depressing.

          “I promise nothing too crazy,” Poe said.  “I know the perfect spot.  It’s a hole in the wall, live music, very low key, right up your alley.”

          You felt yourself smile.  Poe really did know you a little too well.

          “You make me sound like an old lady,” you said jokingly.

          “Well, you are, but I won’t hold that against you,” he countered with an obvious smile in his tone. “What do you say? My treat.”

          You were oh so tempted to ask if he was going to be paying with his winnings of your failed relationship but decided to keep it to yourself, letting out an exaggerated sigh.

          “Fine, you win Dameron.”

          “Perfect!  I’ll call everyone and let them know.”

          “Everyone?”

          “Rey, Finn, and Rose, give me some credit.”

          You let out a small laugh before making your final goodbyes and Poe giving you the address and name of the place.

          The Castle, as it turned out, had been an old speakeasy during prohibition which the owner, Maz, had inherited from her father.  Once liquor was made legal again, it became an official establishment, but had kept the same esthetic from the type of wall paper to the music they played.  It didn’t have many reviews when you googled it, but all of them had been positive, and you felt a small spur of excitement propel you to the end of the week.

          So, nine o’clock Friday night you walked along in the sidewalk in a pair of heels and your favorite blue dress.

          You were surprised to discover it was only about an hour’s walk away from your place.  You had wondered why you hadn’t heard of it, but after about twenty minutes of walking up and down the same stretch of street, you began to understand.

          Even with GPS you got lost, having passed over it more than once. It was well hidden the alley way between identical two buildings and the entrance was placed well below street level and away from prying eyes.  Ideal for a speakeasy, not so great for a bar. Still, eventually, you found it.

          Once inside, you discovered it was much bigger than you expected.  It looked like is spread a little further out from the building you were currently under. About half way across the room, you could see the remains of what must had been the old trick wall which had been knocked down to expand the space.

          It was dimly lit, but still warm and comfortable with small tables and chairs scattered across multiple levels, all leading down to a small stage where a pile of instruments laid ready to be played. The bar sat comfortably in the back overlooking the space, and there was a large area just in front of the stage reserved for dancing.  

          You felt like you had just stepped into a Hollywood musical from the 1930s.  You half expected Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers to come waltzing onto the middle on the dance floor in all their black and white glory.  

          Taking a look around, you were suddenly very thankful you had decided to dress up a bit.  Everyone around you seemed determined to match the atmosphere of the space as best they could.

          “Y/N!”

          You turned smiling as you saw Poe, Rey, Finn, and Rose already at one of the tables.  

          Rose was up first, giving you a hug as you came over.

          “You found us,” she said, smiling brightly.

          “Yeah, sorry about that,” you said, taking a seat.  “I guess I got a bit twisted.”

          “It’s fine,” Poe said.  “I took the liberty of buying you a drink.”

          He slid over you something that looked very red and very elaborate.  Deciding that it wasn’t Poe style of poison you, you took it and raised your glass in thanks.  

          Taking a sip, you almost took back your words.  It was good, but also one of the strongest things you had ever drunk in your life.

          “Jesus Dameron, what’s in this,” you ask, coughing slightly as you put it down.

          “Everything from what I gathered,” Poe said, taking his own drink with a smirk.

          “Do you want to trade?” Finn offered.

          You didn’t get the chance to answer as a woman’s voice came over the speakers.

          “How is everyone doing tonight?”

          Everyone cheered as your eyes found their way to the stage.

           An old woman stood in the spot light, looking somewhere between seventy and a hundred, but her stance and eyes shown with somebody who wasn’t done living yet.  If what you gathered from the reviews was correct, she had to be owner Maz Kanata.

           “I’m sorry to announce that our regular pianist will not be with us tonight due to him being fired.”

           A small ripple of laughter came from the crowd at that.

           “Never the less, the show must go on,” she said, gesturing stage left. “So, make a warm welcome to our newest member, Ben Solo.”

           You nearly spat out your drink at the announcement. Your eyes went wide as the man himself came onto the stage.

           He looked good.

          He was dressed in a well-fitting black suit and tie and crisp white shirt.  He gave a small wave to the room before taking his place at the piano as the rest of the band members came on stage. He took off his jacket, draping it over the side of the bench before rolling up his sleeves, showing off his forearms as he got into position.

           It had to be some kind of joke.

           You tore your eyes away before turning straight to Poe, who was clapping along with everyone else at Ben’s entrance.

           He then looked to you with a sly smile and a shrug.  

           Suddenly the insistence on you coming out, and the double dose of liquid courage he had slipped you made perfect since and you wanted nothing more than to strangle him right then and there.  

           You looked at the other members of your party, relieved to notice they looked just as surprised as you were.  At least you wouldn’t have to kill them as accessories to the conspiracy.

           “Hit it Rex,” Maz ordered.

           The man on bass took the lead, plucking away on the strings as the rest of the horns and Ben’s piano joined in.  

           You had half a mind to leave, but as soon as the music reached your ears, you felt yourself glued to your seat and your eyes fixed on the stage.

           He was amazing.  There was no way around it.

           His fingers glided effortlessly across the keys as he added his own editions and flourishes to the music, with the ease of an afterthought.  Each new note bringing a smile to his face.

          He wasn’t a selfish player either.  While you notice the trumpet player and drummer seemed to be in constant competition, and the sax at times trying the muscle his way in, Ben only added to the music.  He listened to everyone playing around him, giving and taking from the conversation while never talking over them.  

           They transitioned into each song with ease and soon enough the dance floor began to fill with people.

           Finn and Rey went down first, bringing a smile to your face as you watched them.  Neither of them really knew what they were doing, but there was no denying the joy and enthusiasm in which they did it.  

          Poe pulled Rose onto the dance floor next and soon the four of them were spinning each other around switching partners as the music played.

          You honestly didn’t mind guarding your seats.  You weren’t much of a dancer, and you were too preoccupied with the musicians to really notice.  Besides that, Rose, Rey, and Finn all cycled on and off the dance floor so not to leave you completely alone.

          Soon enough though, Poe took your hand and all but forced you onto the floor as a new swing number began to play.  

          You couldn’t say no to him as he spun you around with a huge grin on his face which you had to match.  Poe was certainly one of the smoother dancers you had met and even managed to make you look somewhat decent in the process.

          The last few chords on the song began to fade away and Maz came back onto the stage.

          “Alright folks, go ahead and settle in. I’ve got a real treat for you tonight with our guest band, The Troopers, but before I introduce them to the stage, give a round of applause for the house musicians: Rex, on bass, Lin on drums, Rian on sax, Shae on trumpet, and Ben on piano.”

          Everyone gave a huge round of applause, Poe giving out a loud “whoop” at Ben’s name.

          It was then Ben finally turned his gaze to the crowd.

          He spotted Poe first, looking surprised, but mildly amused at seeing him.  His eyes then shifted directly to you.  

          His whole body seemed to freeze in an instant.  You weren’t sure if it was the lighting, but you thought you saw his cheeks go red.

          His gaze went back to Poe, then you, and back again as if starting to work out exactly what was happening.  His expression changed slightly, but you didn’t have time to make it out as Rex tapped him on the shoulder, gesturing it was time to get off the stage.  

          You watched him as he left, unsure what to make of it.

          “I need a drink,” you said, not giving Poe time to respond as you made your way to the bar.

          You felt your heart beat rapidly in your chest as you weaved your way around the tables, your mind running at a million miles an hour.

          You needed to calm down.  You hadn’t done anything wrong.  You had come to the bar to have a good time.  It just so happened to be the one that Ben worked at.  It wasn’t a big deal.

          And yet, your palms sweating, your stomach twisting, and you felt yourself flashing back to when you were sixteen and you accidentally made eye contact with your crush in the cafeteria.

          You waved down the bar tender ordering something simple and strong, as you tried to get a hold of yourself.  

          “So are you stalking me now or…”

          You jumped slightly, turning to see Ben standing right beside you with an odd and somewhat humorous expression.  

          “It wasn’t my intention,” you said, feeling your cheeks grow decidedly warm.

          His lip turned upward then into a sideways smile.

          “Just crazy random happenstance then.”

          You couldn’t say exactly what it was about the smile, but you felt some of your nerves float away at the sight of it.  Your body began to relax, and your own smile made its way onto your face.

          “If you like,” you said, shrugging. “Or you can blame Dameron. He was pretty insistent on coming here.”

          Ben raised his eyebrow, taking a quick look across the bar to your table where Poe was sitting.

          Poe spotted the pair of you, giving a bright wave and a devious smile.

          “I’m going to kill him,” Ben said matter-of-factly, as he gave his own small wave of acknowledgement.

          You let out a small laugh, somewhat comforted in the knowledge that the pair of you were on the same page.

          “You’re going to have to get in line,” you said, just as the bartender handed you your drink.

          “How long is the waiting list?” he asked.

          You shrugged.

          “Just me, but I tend to be pretty thorough.”

          “Could you use a partner?”

          You paused a moment, pretending to give the matter some deep thought.

          “Well, I will need help carrying the body.”

          Ben nodded in consideration, before stealing a glance at you.

          It started as a smile and then the pair of you broke, each fighting down a sudden fit of laughter.

          “Eh, we shouldn’t give him a hard time,” you said, getting a hold of yourself.

          Ben gave a small groan in frustration.

          “But it’s so easy.

          You nodded you head in understanding.

          “Noted, but in all seriousness.  I’m really glad I came,” you admitted. “You’re really talented.”

          Ben looked at you in mild surprise.  He seemed at a momentary lost for words, caught between wanting to say something sarcastic or something sincere.  

          You thought, for a moment, he wasn’t going to say anything at all, but he nodded his head and gave a small rough, “Thanks.”

          A silence fell between you.  It wasn’t uncomfortable, but there was an understanding that once the silence was broken you would have only two options, either he’d stay, or he’d leave. It was pretty easy to figure out what you wanted.

          “Are you done for the night?” you asked.

          He gave you an odd look, landing between hopeful and cautious.  

          “Basically, why?”

          You tilted your head towards you table, keeping your eyes on him the entire time.

          “Do you want to join us for a drink or something?”

          He glanced over at the table, once again taking note of you party, in particular Poe.

          “I don’t want to crash your date,” he said, turning away from the table, but not meeting your eyes.

          “Date?” you asked, confused.

          He shrugged.

          “You and Poe.”

          It took you a long moment to process what he said, but once you did, you couldn’t stop a laugh from escaping.

          “Oh God no,” you said. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Not even a little.”

          Ben looked at you in complete surprise and clear disbelief.

          “Really?”

          “Really,” you repeated. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, he’s great, but I think he’s just a little too much for me to handle most of the time.”

          Ben considered you carefully, checking to see if you were lying. After a long moment, he seemed to believe you, and a small smile spread across his face.

          “I can understand that,” he said.

          You got a sudden vision of Ben Solo and Poe Dameron as roommates.  You wondered just how often a younger Ben had to drag a younger drunk Poe back to his dorm. Or how often he was kicked out of his room for one reason or another.

          Yes, he probably did understand.

          “So, do you want to join us?” you asked again.

          His mood lightened considerably as he gave you a small nod.

          “Sure.”

          You were amazed to discover just how easily Ben seemed to fit into your group.  

          He of course had to advantage of knowing Poe which put everyone else at ease.  It was commonly agreed upon that if Poe vouch for someone, they couldn’t be all bad.  

          He and Rey hit it off pretty well as she asked him questions about the band, how long he’d been playing, and things along those lines. He seemed a little surprised by her interest on the subject, but answered her questions politely, and after a few drinks even started to joke.

          It was obvious he wasn’t one for social situations.

          You noticed, he didn’t really talk unless a question was directed at him.  Just like when he had been playing, he listened, only adding his own comment when he felt he could add to the conversation rather than stepping over people for attention.  

          His eyes also drifted to you more than once hitting you with a sideways glance or an eye roll at something Poe said making you have to stifle a laugh.  It was as if you were engaging in your own private conversation, each of you giving a commentary on the goings on around you while remaining completely silent.

          Unfortunately, it couldn’t last as last calls were announced and all of you made it out of the bar.

          Rey and Rose had managed to stay relatively sober while Finn and Poe were laughing their heads off as they were held up by the two women.

          “Do you need help getting them home,” you asked.

          Rose waved you off.

          “We’ve got this,” she said.  “I’m stronger than I look.”

          You didn’t doubt it, but still helped keep Finn upright as Ben waved down a cab.  With some maneuvering, you and Rey managed to get Poe, Finn, and Rose into the back seat.

          “Text me when you get back,” you said.

          “I will,” Rey assured.  “The same to you.”

          She then turned her sights on Ben, giving him a hard look.

          “You make sure she gets home safe.”

          To his credit, he didn’t back down, and went to far as to straighten his stance in mock attention.  

          “Yes ma’am.”

          Rey watched him carefully, and then nodded before making her way into the passenger seat.

          You watched them pull away, trying to ignore the fact that it was now just you and Ben alone on the sidewalk.

          “Do you need me to call you a cab?” he asked.

          You took a moment to consider but shook your head.  You were still pleasantly buzzed from the alcohol. The night air felt gentle and comfortable against your skin and the full moon hung lazily in the clear sky letting its light illuminate the darken sidewalk, contrasting against the yellow light of the street lamps.  It was too lovely a night to pass up.

          “No, I don’t live far,” you said. “I think I might walk it.”

          “Do you mind if I join you?” he asked. “I’m pretty sure Rey would skin me if I didn’t.”

          You held back a laugh, knowing full well he was probably right.

          “Well, we wouldn’t want that,” you said.

          You started to walk, and Ben quickly took a place alongside you.

          You fell into an easy silence as you walked.  You passed by small clusters of people on the street, but they were few and far between each waiting for their own cab or Uber to drive them home.  After a few blocks they disappeared altogether, leaving just you and Ben and the night.  

          You didn’t know how you kept ending up like this with him, but as your bodies started to drift closer you couldn’t say you minded.

          “Thank you,” you said, gently.

          Ben looked to you in slight confusion.

          “For walking with me,” you clarified.  “I honestly needed the company.”

          “It’s not a problem,” he said.  “I’m getting used to it.”

          You gave a small smile at that, as your ears started to grow a little hot.

          “I feel like I should be apologizing to you anyway,” he continued.

          It was your turn to look confused as you looked up at him.

          “Poe told me what happened with your boyfriend,” he said. “I can’t help feeling a part of it was my fault.”

          You expression softened and you shook your head.

          “You had nothing to do with it. It was a long time coming.”

          “Well in that case, am I allowed to say he seemed like a total dick?” he asked cautiously.

          You laughed at that, nodding your head.

          “I believe that’s a fair assessment.”

          He chuckled lightly, as an easy smile spread across his face.

“How did you end up together anyway?”

          “Short version? He was nice, and charming, and I thought he got me, turns out he didn’t.”

          “And the long version?”

          You paused a moment, thinking back to the bit of soul searching you had been doing for the past month.  You hadn’t told anyone of your findings, not even Rey, but for some reason, you felt like you could tell Ben.  Something about him made it feel so easy.

          “I’m not that great at being a girlfriend,” you said carefully. “I’ve been trying to fix that, but at the end of the day my job is important to me and that sometimes gets in the way of things.  I guess I was just so relieved to find somebody who seemed to have the same problem I did, I thought we could somehow work it out together. But, he was looking for somebody else, someone he could control. And I let him get away with enough that it convinced him I was that person.”

          Ben studied you a moment, his brows furrowing in confusion.

          “I didn’t think you were the type to let anyone step on you.”

          “I’m not usually,” you said, feeling a distinct twist of embarrassment in your stomach. “But sometimes when you want something bad enough, you do things you normally wouldn’t.”

          You glanced over at Ben.  He wasn’t looking directly at you as his eyes became distant.

          You thought back to your meeting in the diner and how he said he needed to get away from some of the toxic people in his life.  You couldn’t help but wonder if your words brought any of those memories back to him.

          “I guess,” he conceded, “but you still shouldn’t let people take advantage of you. You don’t deserve to be treated that way, ever.”

          He looked at you then, his voice and tone holding such conviction you felt yourself humbled by it.

          “Thank you,” you said quietly.  You shook it off, feeling the conversation had gotten a little too real.

          “Let’s not talk about him anymore,” you said. “You got a job. How long do you think you’re going to be sticking around?”

          Ben seemed to be on the same page as you, letting the tension leave his shoulders as the easy smile returned.

          “I don’t know,” he shrugged. “I’ve got to save up some money first before I figure the next part out.”

          You nodded in understanding.

          “But if I’m going to be honest, I’m starting to find more reasons to stay,” he continued.

          “Like?”

          He paused a moment, seeming to take the moment into deep consideration.

          “Well, I finally found a really good Chinese place.”

          You chuckled lightly, shaking your head.

          “I guess that’s good a reason as any,” you conceded.  

          “That, and my family is here,” he continued, “as well as other things.”

          Despite your better judgement, you felt your heart beat a little faster in your chest at his words.  Taking a chance, you stole a glance in his direction to see he was looking right at you.

          He turned away quickly, and a slight pink tint spread across his cheek.

          “It’s starting to feel a little more like a fresh start,” he said roughly.  

          “Well, if my input means anything, I hope you stay a while,” you said. “I assume musicians get free booze?”

          He laughed and some of the awkwardness dissipated from the air.

          “Occasionally.”

          You continued to talk about nothing in particular until eventually your apartment came into view.

          “This is me,” you said, stopping just in front of the staircase leading up to the door. “Thanks again for the company and the rest of it.”

          “Sure thing.”

          There was a beat of silence between you.  Neither of you seemed to know how to proceed.  You didn’t want to leave his company just yet, but you were struggling to find a reason to stay.  He wasn’t really helping matter either, looking just as lost as you did.

          Deciding to cut your losses and allow the night to end on a pleasant note, you turned towards your apartment.  You only got a few steps up when his voice stopped you.

          “Can I see you again?” he asked quickly.  “On purpose this time?”

          You turned to him, feeling that now familiar rapid beat of your heart starting up again. You could feel the hope rise in your chest, but you tried your best to batter it away.

          “As friends or…”

          “Not exactly,” he said.

          You felt your whole body turn stock-still as he looked at you.

          He ran his hand through his hair awkwardly as he tried to find the right words to say to you.  After about a beat of silence he looked back up at you, straight into your eyes and his hand dropped back to his side.

          “I like you,” he said simply.  “And if you don’t like me that way then it’s fine, we can keep it friends.”

          He took a step towards you then.  You were only standing on the second step, which finally got you to his eye level while still leaving little space between you.

          You met his gaze feeling glued to the spot as he stared down at you with his beautiful brown eyes.

          “But I feel like I need to be up front about the fact I’ve been wanting to kiss you practically since I met you,” he said.

           You stared at him, watching him carefully to see if he was joking, but you couldn’t find anything.  His gaze remained constant, waiting for your answer.

          “Well that makes things easier,” you said. “Because I’ve been wanting to do the same thing.”

          His eyes went comically wide then, as if he hadn’t been expecting his obvious power move to work.

          “Really?”

          “More or less,” you said pushing down a smile.

          He breathed out a sigh of relief, but then paused as if suddenly remembering just how close he was to you.  His eyes shifted to your lips lingering on them just a fraction too long before looking back to you.

          “So, can I kiss you?” he asked.

          You didn’t answer, and instead pressed you lips gently against his, letting your actions speak for you.  

          His lips were even softer than you had imagined, and your hands gripped at the lapels of his jacket bringing him closer to you.  

          It didn’t take him long to catch on.

          He kissed you back with equal pressure as one hand found its way to your waist while the other cupped your cheek. His thumb brushed delicately against you skin, bringing a sigh from your lips.  You parted you mouth only slightly, which he took advantage of, deepening the kiss.  

           There was more passion in it than either or you intended, and a low moan escaped your throat.  The hand still on your waist tightened its grip as he pulled your closer almost making you fall off the step.

           You pulled away for balance and for air as your hands landed on his shoulders.

           He placed his hands on your waist to keep you steady, while keeping his face close to yours, enough you could still feel his warm breath against your skin.  

          “I feel like I should warn you, I haven’t had the best track record with this sort of thing,” he said, softly.

          “You saw how my last relationship ended, so I think we’re even on that score,” you countered, panting slightly. “Honestly, I’m more concerned about your mother.”

          To your surprise, Ben just shook his head with a half-smile.

          “You shouldn’t be. I think she’d be more pissed off at me breaking your heart than the other way around.”

          Despite yourself, a laugh escaped your lips and the urge to hide your face became overwhelming.

          Apparently, he found your embarrassment amusing as he let out his own light chuckle.

          “Just to be safe though, maybe we should take our time with this,” he continued.

          You looked at him, catching the small amount of worry behind the smile.  You could understand his fear completely.  You hadn’t felt a connection with someone this quickly before in your life.  You didn’t want to ruin it any more than he did.

           “I don’t mind,” you said gently.

           He kept his eyes on you, searching yours for second thoughts, but there were none to be found.

          He leaned forward, capturing you lips.  It was much sweeter than the last one and you easily gave into the feeling.  Your arms circled around his neck pulling him closer causing him to stumbled slightly towards you and laugh gently against your mouth.

          The kiss didn’t last as long as you wanted, but it still left you smiling as he pulled away.

          You wanted to stay like that for the rest of your life, but you knew every moment had to end.

           “Goodnight,” you whispered.

           He met your eyes looking as if leaving was exactly the last thing he wanted to do, but he understood.

Carefully, he leaned forward once more, pressing one last tender kiss to your lips and leaving you breathless with such a simple touch.

           “Goodnight,” he said right back.

           He pulled away then and the night air came back to you sending a shiver up your spine.

           You watched him as he made his way back down the street, every now and then taking a glance back at you until he was out a sight.

           You touched your fingers to your lips, feeling the urge to laugh rise in your throat before you looked back out at the night and the moon and the street lamps.

           It truly was a lovely night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! If you like this check out my tumblr @ https://shenanigans-and-imagines.tumblr.com
> 
> Please leave a comment and kudos if you are so inclined.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! If you like this, check out my tumblr @ https://shenanigans-and-imagines.tumblr.com
> 
> Please leave a comment and kudos if you are so inclined


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